Be Safe
by rin-ren-ran
Summary: Tohru's conversations with her mother since that day...
1. Hold on

I do not own Fruits Basket. All of its characters, including those mentioned in this fanfiction, belong to Natsuki Takaya.

**Chapter 1: Hold on**

_I have to study now, mom. There's a quiz tomorrow. _

_I feel guilty about leaving you with all the dishes. We usually do them together. It's more fun that way._

_But you told me this is what I should do, mom. 'Study hard,' you said. So I won't let you down…_

_--_

_I feel so pathetic. I fell asleep while studying!_

_But you wrapped a blanket around me last night, and it's making me feel better. _

_Thank you, mom._

_I slept in and you've already left. I didn't get to greet you 'good morning,' or see you off._

_Oh well. I'll see you after school! _

--

_No…_

_This can't be happening…_

_You can't go yet, mom. I need you. _

_Hana-chan…_

_Uo-chan…_

_We all need you. We'd miss you too much if…_

…_You've always told me… that I needed to be strong. And I'll do just that. It's all I can do right now…_

_But please… be strong for me, too? _

_Please hold on…_

_Please try…_

_Please live…_


	2. Keep smiling

**Chapter 2: Keep Smiling**

_I know you're gone, but it's so hard to believe._

_I'm trying to be strong now, mom. And even stronger. Uo-chan and Hana-chan are trying so hard…_

_So I'll try, too._

_--_

_I'm doing my best in everything I do now._

'_Study hard.'_

_That's what you've always told me._

_I'll keep trying._

_I'll finish high school._

_This is my goal._

_--_

_Even though it's difficult, and it feels like the wind will blow me away and the waves will crash, I'll keep going._

_Because… I know that's what you would have wanted._

_I won't let any tears come. I can never be sad. Or Uo-chan and Hana-chan will be sad, too._

_I'll keep smiling through it all._

_--_

_This is my chance, mom!_

_It's my chance to go out there and learn to depend on myself._

_I'll have to get into the real world some time or another. So, why not now?_

_I won't be a burden to anyone anymore, and I'll still make you proud._

_See? Everyone's happy._


	3. So far, so good, maybe

It's been a long time… too long. I'm so sorry!

But all the other chapters are finished and just need editing. I hope you enjoy this one:)

**Chapter 3: So far, so good… Maybe…**

_Here I am, mom! Paying for my own weight with my own money!_

_It really isn't so hard…_

_Work turned into an interesting learning experience when I had to do extra cleaning in the new meeting room! And it's all just fun exercise, too!_

_The tent I bought at the bargain sale is very sturdy, except for that time when it was almost blown away in the storm… But that was when I learnt something new: wind currents can be different at different heights._

_But I wouldn't have minded to sleep under the stars then, too! The forest around me is just so beautiful! Sure, the minor bugs and strange bear-like noises in the bushes can be slightly distracting… but it's nothing I can't cope with!_

_I'll never give up!_

_I'll never be taken down by small setbacks!_

_Fight on!_

_--_

_I suddenly feel guilty. I know I deserve this but I didn't expect it to be this much…_

_Uo-chan and Hana-chan don't know about the tent but I can't have them worry over me!_

_I just told them everything was fine in Grandpa's house when they asked, but I didn't say anything else. So did I actually lie? I'm so guilty so I guess I did…_

_But it was for the better, wasn't it?_

_Does it hurt more to see them smile from a lie… or cry from the truth?_


	4. Into a basket

**Chapter 4: Into a basket**

_Mom… the past few days have just been… amazing._

_Out of my poor, broken tent after a landslide, and now I'm here, living with the Sohma's!_

_Yup! That's right! Sohma-kun! The Prince of our school! I really can't believe it! (And he really is a Prince! He saved you, working all night just to dig you out! I still don't know how to thank him enough…)_

_But…_

_I've stumbled upon a secret that I can't ever tell._

_Not even to you (I'm sorry…) but I'll try my best to fill you in on as much as I can!_

_So…_

_Now I know why Sohma-kun always keeps away from everybody._

_It may seem that he doesn't like anyone, but he really doesn't mean it to be that way._

_He really is a kind person._

_He just doesn't know it yet._

_And I want to help him see that._

_--_

_Kyo-kun is very different from Sohma-kun._

_He gets upset often. And sometimes, his words can get cruel…_

_But it's just his personality, and when you get to know him better…_

_Well… he still is a little bit harsh…_

_But you'll be able to understand the things that he can't say and how he truly feels._

_And those feelings of his… aren't cruel at all._


	5. Then out

It's a lot shorter than the previous chapters, but I didn't want to ramble on about it. I want to let these words sink in. Hm… let's see how that turns out…

Enjoy!

**Chapter 5: Then out**

_Mom… I've been such a fool. I've always been._

_I've known all along… that I could never stay here._

_But… I've always found myself thinking that… the Sohma's… were my family._

_When I think about the way I feel whenever we sat and enjoyed a meal together…_

_Or how we smiled and laughed with each other…_

_Or even just the simple 'I'm home' when I come back from school…_

_They really did feel like my family._

_And I thought we could always stay together…_

_But I guess I was wrong. Just like what everybody else used to say._

_A riceball doesn't belong in a fruits basket._


	6. Old and new

Okay, this is probably the longest I can do in this fic.

I had a bit of trouble in this one. I wasn't sure what call Tohru's relatives. So to avoid confusion, I stuck with English for most of them. I called her cousin 'onee-san.' I think it's what you call a girl – close (family) friend - who's older than you. Along the lines of 'big sister.' That's how some other Asian languages work, so I'm assuming this works just as well in Japanese. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I hope I'm still keeping Tohru in character. This one feels a bit different. Let me know what you think!

**Chapter 6: Old and New**

_I'm back in Grandfather's house, Mom._

_And I'm glad to be back here - really! It's just so…_

_Aunt, Uncle and onee-san were already here when I arrived. The renovations made more rooms, but I share the other big bedroom with onee-san. It's a bit difficult, but I'm trying my best to remember all the rules she said to me on the first day._

_I only do some of the chores now. Aunty made a timetable for that – which I just lost. I think she put one on the fridge though…_

_Oh! And I also mixed up the laundry the other day. Uncle got upset. I guess I'm getting a lot clumsier. There really is no excuse for it…_

_I'm doing okay in school so far. The exams are still months away, but I'm preparing myself! You can never start too early, right?_

_But… with Sohma-kun and Kyo-kun…_

_It feels so awkward. I can't really explain it._

_There's something… and I can't find a word for it._

_But I do know…_

_That each time I get scolded by Uncle for making more clumsy mistakes, I remember how Shigure-san would just laugh and brush it away…_

_That every time I cook dinner, I remember the vegetables Sohma-kun and I gathered from his secret base…_

_And when I look up at the night sky, I remember Kyo-kun's smiling face when he told me about his training…_

_Then I would remember how I wanted to know them better._

_What is this feeling, mom?_


	7. Home basics

I tried to get this up on Sunday but I couldn't get my hands on the computer. I'll try to update exactly next week. The next chapter will be the last, unless I realize that there's something more I need to add.

Here's something that my faithful reviewer, SunMoonAndSpoon, constantly mentions and sort of complains about more than me (which I find amusing): the total lack of reviews. I just realized that the Anonymous Reviews was disabled so hopefully now that it's enabled, at least one more review will come in. But I'm still grateful to SunMoonAndSpoon!

Back to the main things. Just tell me what you think of this chapter and if you can guess the tune. I don't think it's that hard… heehee. The chapter title feels random cuz it's just a phrase that popped up into my head. I wonder if it really relates to the actual chapter…

Enjoy:)

**Chapter 7: Home Basics**

_We're all walking together. Hand in hand._

_I can see Shigure-san in the distance. He was waiting all this time._

_I can feel Sohma-kun's smile. It's one of his special kinds that makes me want to smile too._

_And I can tell Kyo-kun is embarrassed. It all makes me want to laugh so much._

_I'm just so happy._

_I missed them so much. And now… _

_I'm home._

_--_

_The very next day, I told Hana-chan and Uo-chan about the Sohma's, and then before I realized it, a big sleepover was arranged!_

_I know I officially live with Shigure-san and the others now, but it's still his house. We had an agreement on my duties. I felt so guilty when I told him about the sudden visit._

_But I was so relieved and grateful when he allowed it. He seemed very happy! He started humming a tune the next few days. It was catchy – I started humming it too!_

_But then Kyo-kun told me to stop. And even Sohma-kun was acting different. Maybe I should have sung the words too – but Kyo-kun also stopped me from asking Shigure-san what they were. I guess it's another Sohma secret, mom._


	8. Pain and ease

This chapter is really just… wow. I made the parts at different times and I wasn't sure how to put it all together. But then I figured that since this was still about her mom, then her mom would be at the end. I was going for total cuteness for this final chapter. And I hope it works out. The last bit really got to me and I couldn't believe that it came from my pitiful mind.

This whole fic had me going into empathy-mode with Tohru - a character I don't really like. Doing this made me realize just how important the Sohma's were to her, not just the other way around. It's like a totally new view of her, or a more detailed one of what the anime shows.

Thank you so much for the reviews! I really hope you enjoyed this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it.

cough Is it me, or did I go totally mushy-corny in paragraph two? Hehe. Sorry. I guess it's cuz this is the first fic I've actually finished :3

Read on happily!

**Chapter 8: Pain and Ease**

_The Sohma's have been too kind to me._

_I still think that cleaning and cooking for them isn't enough, no matter what Shigure-san says._

_The Sohma's… Kyo-kun and Sohma-kun…_

_I can feel that they both have problems. Big problems. Maybe problems I can never understand._

_That pain and anxiety lingers in their hearts, and it suffocates them._

_It hurts to see them that way._

_Someday… I hope they'll be able to overcome them. That they'll be able to face their fears._

_But they don't have to face them alone. I'll help._

_It's what I owe them… for all the happiness they've given to me._

_--_

_I have family and friends who I love and who love me back._

_Hana-chan and Uo-chan are always there for me. And even the Sohma's._

_I could never imagine living in a world without them._

_I really am lucky, mom. And I'm so grateful for that._

_--_

…_I've been thinking about what Kyo-kun said since he and Sohma-kun came to get me._

_And I think he's right._

_It was foolish and selfish of me… not to cry for you._

_I really was sad when you left._

_And I really do miss you._

_So tonight… I'll cry._

_And I know you'll still be watching over me._


End file.
